Mothers are among the greatest blessings to society and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson listened to the people and gave the amazing mothers of the world their own holiday. Thanks to Anna Jarvis, also known as “the Mother of Mother’s Day”, every year on the second Sunday in May, Americans come together to celebrate the universal importance of mothers and motherhood.
Jarvis started Mother’s Day by celebrating her late mother Ann on the anniversary of her death. The title along with the celebration then spread all over the U.S. and beyond. Shockingly, Jarvis spent the end of her life trying to destroy this holiday due to commercialization and lack of personal touch and even went as far as disowning the holiday (Office Holidays).
While the modern Mother’s Day is full of flowers, gifts, cards, day spas, and vacations, Mother’s Day’s true origins lie in ancient times, numerous cultures, and historic and religious practices.
In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans commonly celebrated goddesses of motherhood and the goddess who created the earth. One of these goddesses is Gaea (Guy-a), known as Terra in Roman mythology. More commonly known as “Mother Earth”, Gaea/Terra is not only the personification of the earth, but also the mother of all the Gods and Goddesses in Greek and Roman mythology (Britannica).
According to History.com, this has translated into other holidays and religions. In early Christian tradition, the fourth Sunday during Lent, was titled, “Mothering Sunday”, and is reserved as a maternal celebration and paid homage to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
Similar to Christian tradition, the UK observes the fourth Sunday during Lent as a day to revisit their ‘Mother Church’. Nevertheless, Mother’s Day in the UK is commemorated in a similar way as American celebrations.
India celebrates in a way similar to the Greeks and Romans, dedicated to their goddess Durga-puja (Do-er-ga poo-ja). While in Thailand, they celebrate Mother’s Day on the birthday of their current queen, August 12 (Britannica).
There are many ways and days to celebrate Mother’s Day, but the most important thing is to honor its true origins and give those maternal figures the recognition they deserve. Spend time with the women who have given the gift of life. Many mothers come to realize that time with their babies is gone in a fleeting moment. Drift outside of the regular gifts on Mother’s Day, write a personalized letter, go outside and pick a unique bouquet of flowers, or do some more chores around the house to make that day so much more special for the mothers, step-mothers, and grandmothers of the world.
HISTORY.COM EDITORS. (2024, January 31). Mother’s Day 2024.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day
Office Holidays. (n.d.). Mother’s Day around the world in 2024. Retrieved May 7,
2024, from https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/mothers-day
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2024, May 5). Mother’s Day.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mothers-Day
